Steam-packing.



- 0. 1). H. BENTLEY.

s'rmm PAGKIML. APPLICATION FILED APR. 22, 1909.

Patented 0011.26, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Fla.

" WlTNESSESz WITNESSES:

O. D. H. BENTLEY.

STEAM PACKING.

APPLICATION 11.21) 311.22. 1009.

937,91 6. Patented Oct. 26, 1909. I SHEETs-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR i; artist) STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OLIVER I). H. NTLEY, F NEXV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR T0 E. W. BLISS COMPANY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YDRK, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

STEAM-PACKING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

- Application filed April 22, 1909. Serial No. 491,504.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OLIVER D. H. BENT; Lnr, a citizen of the United States, residing in the. borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, city and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Packing, of which the following is a specification.

This inventlon relates to what are known as labyrinth packings, which are applicable to prevent leakage of steam under low pressure from between relatively moving surfaces which are slightly out of contact. Such packings are peculiarly suited to the requirements of steam turbine engines, although useful in other applications. It is characteristic of such a packing that the respective relatively moving parts are formed with concentric ribs and grooves, the ribs on each part fitting into the grooves in the other so as to form between them a very narrow space or' passage through which the steam must flow in order to escape. This passage thus presents a frequent succession of angles by which it is rendered so tortuoiis that. it is not inappropriately termed a labyrinth', The relatively moving parts are ordinarily a stationary part or stator and a revolving part or rotor, although both parts might be revolving either at venience I will refer to them in this specification as a stator and rotor respectively. The relatively grooved surfaces should be so shaped as to recede from the axial center, being preferably of disk form, although they might be conical, so that in either case the successive ribs and grooves are formed inside of another, so that the general direction which must be traversedby the escaping steam is toward the center. The steam thus flowing centripetallythrough the labyrinthine passage has imparted to it, by the frictional engagement of the revolving surfaces constituting one side of this passage, accelerates with the inward progress of'the steam, generates a centrifugal force sufficientto oppose and eventually to stop the inward circulation if the pressure impelling the steam be not excessive. The centrifugal effect is increased by the presence of watery vapor resulting from the partial condensation of the steam. The result is that under the bearing casing, and F part different speeds or in contrary directlons. For 'con-' a rotary movement, which as it' of the steam and the centrifugal force apphed to the steam and the condensation water, reach a state of equilibrium so that although the labyrinthine passage is con stantly open no steam can escape through it.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a diametrical longitudinal section of part of a steam turbine to which are applied two labyrinth packings constituting embodiments of my invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are fragmentary face views of the concentrically grooved disks forming the left hand packing shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section in the plane of the line fl-4 in Fig. 1 showing part of the other or right hand packing. Figs. 5 and 6 areifragmentary mid-sections of modified constructions of packings.

Referring to Fig. 1, let A designate the main casing of the turbine (which I will refer to as the stator), B the bucket wheel or rotor, C the revolving shaft, D part of one of the bearings for the shaft, E part of of the governor hood inclosing the governor. These parts require no description. 1

Within the casing or stato'r A is the steam chamber G which extends on both' sides of the wheel or rotor 13. \It is to prevent the escape of steam from his chamber toward the shaft that the packii igs provided by my invention are applied. lThese packings as a Whole are shown at and J respectively. I

Each packing comprises a stator part K proper conditions the centripetal tendency.

Patented Oct. 26,1909.

and a rotor part L in which parts are formed the interfitting concentric ribs and grooves which constitute the labyrinth. The ribs are lettered a and the grooves between them I). The ribs are slightly narrower than the grooves in order that they may make a safe clearance during rotation and form the curved or approximately cylindrical portions of the labyrinthine passage. This passage or labyrinth as a Whole is lettered 'c. The parts K and L are shown as disks, the former being fastened by screws 03 to a bushing M or M seated in the stator or casing A; and the'latter being carried by the rotor or shaft, preferably by being fastened in any suitable manner to the bucket wheel or rotor B. The construction is such that the labyrinthine passagerbetween the disks K' andL affords the only outlet for leakage of steam from the chamber G, it being understood that this chamber is in communication in thensna-l manner with the'exhaust from the turbine.

The bushings M and M are made. ad-

' jnstable in a direction'parallel with the axis of rotation in order thereby to adjust the disks K toward or from the disks L. For

this purpose the bushings are best mounted with a screw thread connection so that by turning them they may be displaced in axial direction. As shown the bushing M has a screw threaded engagement 6 with its seat in the casing A; and the bushing M has a screw threaded'engagement 6' with a fixed bushing P which is seated in the casing.

' The respective bushings are provided with any convenient means by which they may be. turned to effect-the adjustment while the engine is running; as shown, the bushing M .has notches f for receiving a spanner, and

the bushing M has notches f for the like purpose, the spanners for the respective engage these notches.

The packing as thus far described is well adapted for locations where the steam to be confined is under very low pressure, as is ordinarily thecase in the'exhaust chamber of a steam turbine. The steam seeking to escape through the 'labyrinth encounters the rotor part or disk L which imparts to it a rotation which asthe steam more deeply penetrates the labyrinth in its inward flow gradually increases, accompanied by an increasing centrifugal force which retards and checksrthe flow of steam. and finally overcomes the pressure impelling it, so that at a point or zone somewhere within the labyrinth the flow of steam ceases. Thus at this point or zone, the location or diameter of which will vary from time to time or under varying conditions, an equilibrium exists between the pressure impelling the escape of the steam and the centrifugal force developed by the whirling steam. This retarding effect with a given rotative speed is developed with greater ease the narrower the labyrinthine passage is made and the greater the percentage of moisture in the steam which is confined in this passage.

The provisionfor relative adjustment ofv the grooved disks K L enables the width of the labyrinthine passage between them to be adjusted to a nicety. To effect this adjustment the stator disk'is advanced while the rotor is running until it reaches actual contact with the rotor disk; it is then retracted very slightly, just enough to permit free running c1earance. To avoidpossibility of accident the adjustingthreads e and e" of the respective bushings M M are made respectively right and left hand in such relation to the direction of rotation of the bushings being suitably shaped to reach and rotor that the friction of accidental contact tends to unscrew the respective bushings and thereby increase the clearance between-the disks and prevent thefipossibility of seizure.-

With sufliciently minute passages in the labyrinths steam alone as a packing fluid is suflicient for most Leases.v But in case the pressure to be packed against is excess1ve,

as, for example, when the exhaust from the turbme is used for heating or for other purposes whereby a back pressure 15 clevelveniently constructed by forming fa suitable i cavity in the bushing M or M',@,which cavity is closed by the application ofthe disk K -oped,-it is necessary to add moisture to thereto. Water is introduced through an inlet pipe it into an inlet chamber i, from which it passes through one or more'holes j into-the jacket 9, andafter circulating therethrough the water escapes on the diametrically opposite side through a. similar hole j into a chamber is from whichit passes off through an outlet pipe m. The chambers i and 7c are suflicienly large to insure com munication with the jacket 9 through at least one of the holes is whatever may be the adjustment of the bushing M or M. This will be apparent from Fig. 4 which shows the chamber 2' receiving water from the inlet opening h, and sufiiciently; wide to distribute it in the position shown through-two of the holes j so that, as the bushing M is turned,

always at least one of these holes will communicate with this chamber.' The chamber A: is constructed and proportioned in like manner. The'water thus circulated through the cooling j acketsor chambers is-controlled i to cause condensation of sufficient steam so that the increased centrifugal efiect resulting from the presence of this denser fluid in the labyrinth increases pro ortionately the resistance to the escape .0 through the packing, and thereby enables the latter to pack against any back pressure the steam or increased pressure which ,is'likely tone- ,1

our in a steam turbine." The eificiency-of the E packing in this respect may be controlled wit-in practical limits by circulating more;

or] ess fluid throughthe cooling. chambers, 1 3

or ;by using a cooling-fluid of higherj for- 1 lowertemperature as 'may be inquired While water is preferablewothe fluids may be substituted. a my While it is preferablato. co structthe obi gii" packed against is opposed cure the maximum centrifugal efiiciency, in'

some locations it may be necessary or pref-- erableto form them as cones, as shown for example in Fig. 5. While itis preferable to makethe grooves and ribs with parallel sides, as shown in Fig. 1, the shape maybe varied by making them pointed or rounded or of other contours, as may sirable in any particular case, which are shown in Fig. 6.

While this invention is designed primarily as a steam packing and is chiefly useful for packing steam, yet it is not necessarily confined to that use, be available for checking the escape of air, or other fluids through a rotati've joint.

examples of This invention is to be clearly distinguished from those labyrinth packings wherein the escape of the steam or other fluid being by introducing into the packing or stuffing box a packing fluid of equal or higher pressure. ent invention avoids the necessity ofany introduction of a packing fluid, and of the use of fans or other means for generating aleakage through the fluid pressure to oppose packing. of the present invention is the application of a.c0ncentric labyrinth one of the walls of which rotates, the outer circumference of the labyrinth being in communication with the fluid to be packed against, so that the centrifugal force of the whirling fluid in the labyrinth is utilized to oppose inward leakage of the outlying fluid.

I claim as my invention: 1. A steam packing for a rotary shaft comprising two parts, the one rotating with relation to the other, said parts having a succession of interfitting concentric ribs and grooves forming municating at its outer circumference with the fluid to be packed against, whereby said adapted-to resist a leakage of the centrifugal force of once by opposing to the centripetal leakage tric ribs and grooves forming between them a narrow labyrinthine passage, and said passage communicating at its outer circumference with the steamchamber in said casing, and at its inner circumference with the atmosphere, whereby said passage is adapted to resist a leakage of steam from sai chamber toward its inner circumference, by

be found deas in some instance it may- The distinguishing novel featurebetween them a narrowlabyrinthine passage and said passage comopposin the clrl'ntrifugal force of the whirling fluid to the centripetal leakage tendency thereof.

3. A steam packing comprising two parts, the one rotating with relation 'to the other, having interfitting grooves forming between them a labyrinthine passage, extending be packed inwardly, and adjusting means for relatively displacing said parts to vary the width of said passage.

concentric ribs and grooves forming between them a labyrinthine passage, the stator part having a screw-threadedengag ment with its support for varying the wi th of said passage.

5. steam packing comprising in combination with stator and rotor acking disks having interfitting concentric ribs grooves forming between them a labyrinthine passage, a bushing carrying the stator The pres- I disk and having a screw-threaded engagement with the stator of said passage.

6. The combination with a stator and rofor varying the width rection, of a labyrinth packing of which the stator part has a screw-threaded engagement with the stator, the pitch of the screw threads thereof being in such direction relatively to the rotationof the rotorthat the turnin of the stator part in such direction will widenfthe labyrinthine'passage.

7 A steam packing comprising two parts,

having interfitting concentric ribs and grooves forming between them a labyrinthine passage, said passage communicating at its outer circumference with the steam space to be packed, and extending thence inof the whirling fluid to the leakage of steam, and means for cooling one of said parts to promote condensation of steam in said passage and thereby increase such ceptrifugal tendency; 4

8. A steam packing comprising two parts,

the, one rotating with relation to the other, having interfitting concentric ribs and i grooves forming between them a labyrin thine passage, said passage communicating at d its outer circumference withthe steam space to be packed, and extending thence inwardly to oppose the centrifugal tendency of the whirling fluid to the means for cooling one of said parts comprising a cooling jacket, and means for circulating a cooling fluid therethrough to promote condensation of steam in said passage and thereby increase such centrifugal tendency.

9. A steampacking comprising two parts,

the one rotating with relation tothe other,

from the space to v and the one rotating with relation to the other,

concentric ribs and; v

4. A steam packing comprising stator and rotor parts, having respectively interfitting tor, the latter adapted to turn in only one d1- wardly to oppose the centrifugal tendency leakage of steam, and

having interfitting concentric ribs and grooves forming between them a labyrinthine passage,- and awater-j'acket adjacentt'o said grooves for cooling said passage.

10.. A steam packing comprising stator and rotor parts having respectively interfittingv concentric ribs and tween them a labyrinthine passage, a rotative bushing carrying said stator part formed with a cooling jacket and having a screw-threaded engagement with its sup- 5 ooves forming 10eport, and said support fornied with inlet and outlet passages for cooling fluid commumcatingv through the screw-threaded 7 joint with sand jacket. g

In witness whereof, I have hereunto slgned my. name 1n the presence of two subscrlblng witnesses.

OLIVER DJH. BENTLEY. -Witnesses: 1 Y

EDWIN C.'INAPP, ARCHIE S. MOLUNDIE; 

